Friday, May 30, 2008

I'm excited. Despite the fact that the year seems to be flashing by...it means that I'm one day closer to going to Byron Bay Writers Festival (programme announced today), one day closer to the Romance Writers Conference and a week in Melbourne and gulp....one day closer to starting 50ks in 30 days (our June writing Marathon challenge) Gulp, actually, that's only a day away and I haven't achieved everything I wanted to in May.

I'm excited about Byron because not only do I get to spend fabulous quality creative time with my writer friends, I get to catch up with my pal Jen, who I have not seen since she moved to Melbourne in January last year. Collage poetry will be happening!

I'm excited about the RWA Conference for obvious reasons and it is years since I've spent time in Melbourne...14 years to be exact. I'm still hoping that I'll be able to scrape up the funds to see Wicked the musical while I'm down there.

And now 50ks in 30 days starting Sunday. Today I was re-reading the first 25,000 words of Hold the Anchovies and I realised why I stopped writing it. It's not that there wasn't a story...quite the opposite. There's a story there alright, although it doesn't have a happy ending. It's my story. And I think in that first 25ks I got a bit too close to the bone, freaked out and stopped writing. (And isn't it at the point that you freak out that you're supposed to keep on writing) Yes, parts have been fictionalised... but so much of it is the absolute truth, so during June I need to find a way to access that story again and to stay with it. To stay with my truth, and not shy away from exposing my soul, my heart or my vulnerability.

I'm also excited about having fire again, and the cat is very happy curled up in front of the fire. It will make a big difference to being able to churn those words out. It was starting to get very cold here at night, and I was going to bed early (shock, horror) just to stay warm. But now the room is a pleasant temperature, the fire is burning and I hope that my creative fire will continue to burn throughout June.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Years ago, it seemed like it was only a crazy dream. Me? A published author? Sure I'd strung a play or two together and seen them performed, but aside from the very trashy novel that I wrote when I was 15, I hadn't written a complete novel. That was the first step.

And five complete first drafts of different novel-length stories, I call myself a yet-to-be-published writer. (I can't count the group anthologies). But there's a bit more involved in becoming published, and there's that big hurdle called submission. I've submitted to contests and magazines but have yet to put myself completely out there by submitting to a real live publisher. It's almost time.

For many years now, I have been hanging out in writing communities - online and in real life. And watching other people's success has inspired me and provided me with the perserverance to keep at this strange world of publishing.

First: Marley Gibson. I met Marley online in around 2000 or 2001 when we were both hanging out at Red Dress Ink and writing chick lit. Marley has since found success with Young Adult writing and her first two novels were released two weeks ago, writing as Kate Harmon. I'm looking forward to reading it, and will be putting in my order to Amazon now.

Secondly, my real life friend Roby, who will have three fantasy novels coming out in 2009 with Pan MacMillan. I was there when she got not quite 'the call' but 'the-we're-very-interested-call' and could share directly in the excitement with her. Roby has been generous enough to share her journey with me and the rest of our writers group, including anecdotes from lunches, the pitfalls of editing etc and the full manuscript. Very exciting!

This is Roby, after finding out that Pan MacMillan wanted to speak to her.

Lastly, I became friends with Rachel Charlton/Rhian Cahill when we both did Nanowrimo last year. The novel she wrote during Nano has been requested after a publisher did a surf-by of her blog and read an excerpt of a different novel. How cool is that! So Rach/Rhian has encouraged me to get my work out there:

So I'm out of the writing closet (not that I've exactly been in it). I have a new blog which will focus on writing and excerpts from my work and you can visit it here.

Eventually I will have excerpts all five novel-length stories on the site, plus the occasional collage poem, and featured products from my Cafepress store.

It has been so inspirational sharing in the success of my writing buddies. It shows me that it's not just a far-fetched fantasy that only happens to the lucky ones. It happens to real people. It happens to the people with dedication, perserverance and talent! And I plan to be one of those people.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

My online blogger and writer pals have gone guy crazy. They've been posting hunky guys to their blogs and in Sandie's case, creating a blog devoted to hunks.

Not to be outdone, I have posted one hunk of butt below. The photo is from my archives but the man shall remain nameless. And I do have quite a few photos from other angles, but they may well identify the man in question.

The photo was taken in a previous life when I worked with this hot guy in a career very different from the one I have now. Suffice to say, I had a big crush on the owner of this butt. Can you blame me?

Unfortunately, the crush is as far as it went despite flirtations and a kiss on the lips. Maybe something else happened in a parallel universe perhaps?

Anyway, he inspired quite a lot of prose from me, almost poetry, and at least one character in a novel. Nothing like some real life inspiration to draw upon.

About Me

I'm a 43 year old writer of Young Adult and contemporary women's fiction as well as a collage poet. I live on the Mid North Coast, NSW, Australia. I've worked in arts administration, theatre and founded a film festival. My day job has very little room for creativity so now it is time for me to get serious about my writing aspirations!

WIP #1 - I'm With the Band

Kat has spent too many years in her comfort zone. But when her husband does a disappearing act mirrored by a guilt deposit of $20K into Kat's bank account, it's time to spend a month or two living fearlessly. First she needs a list: things to do before she dies.
When her favourite rock band Eloquent Beast reunites for a one-off tour, Kat trails along, rediscovering the joy of her youth. Soon she finds herself on stage singing with her rock god, skydiving, visiting nudist beaches and living life far beyond her comfort zone.!
STATUS: FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE

110,173 / 110,173(100.0%)

Inspired by the acoustic tour of Moving Pictures in August 2005, where once again I met the lead singer Alex Smith.
It made me feel 17 again.

This slideshow shows some pictures I have taken of the band.

WIP #2 - Beyond Happily Ever After

The real Cinderella story - Cinderella and her Prince, Edward, are being hounded by the media to produce the expected heir, but it's not quite going to plan.
A visit to the Prince's cousin, Henry, and his wife Snow White provides an unexpected solution but now Henry admits that he has been in love with Cinders since he saw her at the ball.
But Prince Henry also knows the real reason that the Queen threw the ball to marry off Edward. How long before Cinderella learns the truth?
A tale to rival the twists and turns of the present-day royal family.

68,572 / 68,572
(100.0%)

STATUS : first draft complete!
BREAKING NEWS: The short story version of Beyond Happily Ever After will be published in Wet Ink magazine in September 2008.

WIP #3 - Diary of the Future

16 year-old Nicky Symons is disconcerted when a conversation with her crush Zach is repeated word for word for the second time in a week. But that evening as she re-reads her diary, she realizes that the journal she has found in her mother's second hand bookshop gives her the power to write her future. She thinks she's discovered the key to happiness and starts pre-writing her own and her best friend Mel's destiny. First she ensures that she hooks up with Zach, the cutest guy at school. Then she arranges for Mel's holiday fling, Tony, to move to town.
But when her arch enemy Sonya ends up in hospital, and she discovers that Tony has left behind a pregnant wife, Nicky decides the diary's power must be buried. But Mel has other ideas. What happens when Mel digs up the diary and starts using its power?

STATUS:50,088 words: A COMPLETE FIRST DRAFT - editing

50,088 / 50,088(100.0%)

WIP #4 - Making the Cut

Chloe Watkins takes up a position as film festival director in the small Aussie country town of Bilby Creek. Chloe may be the big fish in the small pond, but she's also out of water, battling the conservatism of the small town. She leaves her boyfriend behind in the big city and starts a Clayton relationship with the Bilby Creek school teacher. But is he gay?

STATUS: FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE - CURRENTLY EDITING

108,734 / 108,734(100.0%)

WIP #5 - HOLD THE ANCHOVIES

When Lisa joins a pizza delivery company, she expects it to be a routine job, but with a customer who tells fortunes by reading pizzas and her very hunky boss, Alex, making moves on her, she's about to get her education in sex, drugs and rock'n'roll.

96,425 / 96,425(100.0%)

STATUS: FIRST DRAFT COMPLETE.

WIP #6 - KISSING TOADS

Photographer Jessica devises a plan with flatmate Libby and gay pal Simon to meet Mr Right, but how many toads can she kiss along the way? Enough to fill a photography exhibition, it seems!